Holy Small Crowd Batman!

[John]

I thought Texas was the land of the big time football fans? What's up with the TONS of empty bleachers at SMU????

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9774854

 

[Dooley]

Was that a Buffalo Bills highlight?

 

[whaler11]

You were under the impression that SMU had a big fanbase?

 

[sportsart]

35-14 will do that. Just as well. Lost a tough one.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The only time SMU had any true attendance was during the Pony Excess days but there were more people in the stands who were being attracted to a fad than there were who were part of a fan base. In their own city the had to get in line behind Texas and A&M and many of the residents of the Dallas Metroplex had allegience to other schools (Oklahoma, Arkansas, TCU, Baylor).

If it weren't for the death penalty (and eliminating the fad followers) they would more often than not fill a stadium the size of the Rent (nor sure how large Ford is) but I believe their stabilized fan base is somewhere around 30k these days.

 

[BoatShow]

As much as I hate to give RU fans credit...but I only saw Rutgers gear in the crowd the few minutes I watched.

 

[zls44]

SMU doesn't draw flies. They haven't for thirty years.

This should not be surprising.

 

[Fishy]

I saw a nice, tidy 15,000 empty seats at Boston College today.

I thought they were big time? Someone told me they were big time.

If it was one of you guys, stop lying to me.

 

[Adios]

The AAC will be the chance to make or break for all schools in the conference next year. All we need to do is go to games. Out of all the schools left in the AAC, only we appeal to the ACC and the B1G. Have to like our chances.

 

[Adios]

SMU doesn't draw flies. They haven't for thirty years.

This should not be surprising.

They never had a really strong fanbase. Going back to their years in the Cotton Bowl and Texas Stadium. As said by FfldCntyFan, they had their best crowds when some regional "rival" was playing a road game at SMU. BCU Lite.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I saw a nice, tidy 15,000 empty seats at Boston College today.

I thought they were big time? Someone told me they were big time.

If it was one of you guys, stop lying to me.

Hah, Bruins home game against the Red Wings and a Red Sox playoff home game, plus the prospect earlier this week of this game not even being played, they're lucky they drew 25K.

 

[mauconnfan]

Hah, Bruins home game against the Red Wings and a Red Sox playoff home game, plus the prospect earlier this week of this game not even being played, they're lucky they drew 25K.

Game was at 1pm the Sox were 5:30 and the Bruins even later than that........if anyone actually wanted to go to the football game and either of the others they would have.......Boston isn't that big!

 

[Dooley]

As much as I hate to give RU fans credit...but I only saw Rutgers gear in the crowd the few minutes I watched.

Agreed. They travel pretty well and that's something that our fanbase needs to really get. They always have a good showing when they come up to play us and, for whatever reason, we never really went down there too often in large numbers.

 

[Vuce]

Hah, Bruins home game against the Red Wings and a Red Sox playoff home game, plus the prospect earlier this week of this game not even being played, they're lucky they drew 25K.

BCU will always have excuses as to why they don't draw despite being "big time". It's the Red Sox, it's the celtics, it's the bruins, it's leaf peeping season.

 

[APA]

The AAC will be the chance to make or break for all schools in the conference next year. All we need to do is go to games. Out of all the schools left in the AAC, only we appeal to the ACC and the B1G. Have to like our chances.

Can't imagine why you think that UConn appeals to the Big 10.

 

[coachcap]

The only time SMU had any true attendance was during the Pony Excess days but there were more people in the stands who were being attracted to a fad than there were who were part of a fan base. In their own city the had to get in line behind Texas and A&M and many of the residents of the Dallas Metroplex had allegience to other schools (Oklahoma, Arkansas, TCU, Baylor).

If it weren't for the death penalty (and eliminating the fad followers) they would more often than not fill a stadium the size of the Rent (nor sure how large Ford is) but I believe their stabilized fan base is somewhere around 30k these days.

Aside from Jerry Levias, & then the Pony Express, my enduring memory of SMU football was their game on ESPN the day after the season opener of Dallas. There was a crowd shot of frat brother types holding up a huge placard with this message "Kristen couldn't have shot J.R.-she was with me!" Thay had about as much of a chance with Bing Crosby's daughter as I have with Angie Harmon.

 

[PRHusky]

To be fair to SMU, that game started at 11am local time in a rain storm. Most teams would have had attendance problems under those conditions.

 

[uconndogs]

I saw a nice, tidy 15,000 empty seats at Boston College today.

I thought they were big time? Someone told me they were big time.

If it was one of you guys, stop lying to me.

Worst fans around. Alumni is bad. Conte is a morgue.

 

[Stinger92860]

Can't imagine why you think that UConn appeals to the Big 10.

30th ranked DMA, which does not include Fairfield county. Fairfield county is part of the NYC dma. No pro teams in these DMA areas. Proximity to Boston and NYC. For starters......

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

They never had a really strong fanbase. Going back to their years in the Cotton Bowl and Texas Stadium. As said by FfldCntyFan, they had their best crowds when some regional "rival" was playing a road game at SMU. BCU Lite.

Socioeconomically, SMU's and BCU's student bodies may not be too different, one more southern/southwestern, one more Catholic. The Mustangs' football games are far more of an excuse for socializing during their Boulevard tailgates than even possible in BCU's lame tailgating environment. Neither has much of a fan base beyond some alumni, some students, and parents, and neither gets much attention in their home cities.

 

[BoatShow]

To be fair to SMU, that game started at 11am local time in a rain storm. Most teams would have had attendance problems under those conditions.

Yeah I thought the fringe of the Tropical Storm may have played a roll in people not being super stoked on going to a football game too.

 

[zls44]

Yeah I thought the fringe of the Tropical Storm may have played a roll in people not being super stoked on going to a football game too.

They have that size crowd every week.

 

[huskymedic]

Had this bookmarked to share w/ BY but it got lost in all the post Buffalo events:

It is Georgia and SEC based but:

Declining Student Attendance Hits Georgia
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304795804579097223907738780.html?mod=trending_now_10

The real reason college football live game attendance is down
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/college-football-live-game-attendance/

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

As much as I hate to give RU fans credit...but I only saw Rutgers gear in the crowd the few minutes I watched.

Not that SMU has too many fans, but Rutgers shares that same primary color of red. It was nothing like osu's red dominating Northwestern's stadium.

 

[BoatShow]

Not that SMU has too many fans, but Rutgers shares that same primary color of red. It was nothing like osu's red dominating Northwestern's stadium.

Does SMU also share a block "R" and the word Rutgers?